1. Technical Field
The present application relates generally to child-resistant packaging suitable for packaging potentially hazardous small articles such as a physiologically active substance such as a drug, nutritional supplement, or medical device such as a hearing aid or a component therefor such as a button battery.
2. Background Information
Pharmaceuticals in the form of various sizes and shapes of pills, caplets, capsules are often packaged in blister card packs where individual doses are accessible by peeling off the lidstock or by pushing the pharmaceutical product through an aluminum foil or paper package wall. Suitable packaging for drugs should contain the drug within the package while protecting the drug from contamination and deleterious effects from the external environment. Thus, containers such as a blister package may protect the drug or other contents from contact or exposure to unwanted materials such as microbes, insects, air, moisture, sunlight, etc. Also, the materials used in constructing pharmaceutical packaging and especially the drug contact package interior surface layer should resist migration of chemicals between the drug and the package materials. Blister pack containers are typically sealed e.g. by a heat seal to provide a hermetic barrier.
Child resistant packaging has been developed to avoid accidental poisoning and choking hazards. Typical plastic bottle containers for prescription drugs having child resistant closures requiring alignment of arrows or a combination of pressing or pulling while turning are well known. Attempts have been made to provide blister packaging which is “child resistant” i.e. packaging which is resistant to opening by a young child (up to 5 years of age). The major drawback of blister packaging is the difficulty in design of child safe blister packaging which can also be opened easily by adults. One type of child resistant blister package uses a 5″×2″ card which is perforated longitudinally and has a combination of polyester film and paper which resists push through access. The card is opened by first being torn in half along a lengthwise line of perforations and then using a notch, is torn transversely to the perforation line thereby releasing the drug product. This type of package is difficult for young children to open because it requires two sequential separate steps. See, Jenkins et al., Packaging Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, pages 201-202, Technomic Publishing Company, (1993, Lancaster, Pa.). Accordingly, there is a continuing need for cost efficient child resistant packaging material for containing small products such as physiologically active substances and medical devices.